Neil

First, you give a task or a goal the power to determine your worth and happiness. You think, “Getting this job, passing this test, dating this person will change my life and make me happy.” When a perfect performance or the achievement of a specific goal becomes the sole measure of your self-worth, too much is at stake to just start working without some leverage, such as procrastination, to break the equation of self-worth = performance.

Berkeley psychologist Rich Beery states that fear of failure stems from assuming that what you produce reflects your complete ability. You therefore use procrastination to protect your worth from being judged.

If you maintain perfectionist standards, then failing to achieve your goals or making a mistake can feel as if you’re going to die. But maybe your job, your relationship, or your home is so important to you that losing it would feel like the end of the world. If so, you’ll want to know how to create alternatives that allow you to bounce back from your natural procrastination patterns. You’ll want a plan B and a plan C, rather than being overly dependent and overly insistent on plan A as the only way to achieve and survive.